Good Movies 1979

Apocalypse Now - Napalm in the Morning

Apocalypse Now - Director Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War rendition of Joseph Conrad's classic turn of the century novel Heart of Darkness. A giant of a movie with overwhelming sets and beset by every problem imaginable. Starring newcomer Martin Sheen (who suffered a heart attack while filming), an overweight Marlon Brando, a troublesome Dennis Hopper and Robert Duval it played well enough at the box office. It was not until years later was it was accepted as a masterpiece in American film. Apocalypse Now

Kramer versus Kramer

Kramer vs. Kramer - Directed by Robert Benton the film covers a divorce and the subsequent fight over the child. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander and
Justin Henry as the little boy. It swept the Oscars with wins for Hoffman, Streep, Benton and Best Picture. Kramer vs Kramer.

Sally Fields UNION!

Norma Rae - Directed by Martin Ritt this is the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton who fought for a Union in the Alabama garment industry. Sally Fields won the Oscar for Best Actress. Also starring Beau Bridges as the husband and Ron Leibman as the yankee union organizer. Norma Ray a union movie.

The China Syndrome - Directed by James Bridges this technical thriller of a nuclear power plant about to melt down. Though starring Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas it is Jack Lemmon who steals the show as an engineer who blows the whistle on a corporate cover up. As serendipity would have it, the movie was in theaters when the nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island had a partial meltdown. The China Syndrome.

"I can't write. I can't read. I like to watch TV."

Being There - Directed by Hal Ashby. The story of an Illiterate shut in Chancey the Gardner who is mistaken for an upper class genius. As his handlers talk of making him President of the United States he wanders off to a lake and walks on water. Nominated for an Oscar it is Peter Sellers last movie also starring Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas who wins the Oscar for Supporting actor. It is a strange movie. Being There

The Rose - Directed by Mark Rydell this Bette Midler vehicle of a Rock star going bad is loosely based on rock icon Janis Joplin. It was nominated for 5 academy awards and also starred Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest and Harry Dean Stanton. Bette Midler the Rose.

New Movies 1979

All That Jazz
1941
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
Ashanti
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
The Black Hole
The Black Stallion
Breaking Away
The Brood
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
Carry On Emmannuelle
The Cat and the Canary
The Champ
The Concorde: Airport '79
Dracula
The Electric Horseman
Escape from Alcatraz
The Great Santini
HAIR
Hardcore
Hanover Street,
The In-Laws
Love At First Bite
The Main Event
Manhattan
Meatballs
Monty Python's Life of Brian
More American Graffiti
Murder by Decree
Nosferatu
Phantasm
Prophecy
The Prize Fighter
Quadrophenia
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rocky II
Starting Over
Tess
Time After Time
The Tin Drum
Zulu Dawn

B Movies 1979


Mad Max Handcuffs KaBoom

Mad Max - Directed by George Miller this is the first film in the Mad Max franchise. Though an end of the world Australian carnage film it owes much to the American western. It makes a star of the unknown hero Mel Gibson. It is not known if the man he blows up in the video above is Jewish. Mad Max and Beyond.

Entertainment News 1979

Star Trek the Motion Picture Trailer

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Directed by Robert Wise this is the first in the Star Trek franchise which spans 10 films and 4 television series to date. Starring the came cast from the original TV series William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and new to the cast Persis Khambatta and Stephen Collins. Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The Muppet Movie Trailer

The Muppet Movie - Produced by Muppet Master Jim Henson and directed by James Frawley the movie won rave reviews and did well at the box office. The cast of characters translated well from Sesame Street to The Muppet TV Show to the Big Screen. Including a large cast of Hollywood stars it also was very very funny and made enough money for Henson to do more successful movies. The Muppet Movie.

Caligula - Directed by Tinto Brass and produced by Penthouse founder Bob Guccione this film broke boundaries missing high production values, big stars and hardcore pornography. Written by Gore Vidal and starring Malcolm McDowell as the Emperor Caligula and John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole, and Helen Mirren. Guccione's Caligula NYT Review.

Academy Awards 1979

Picture: "KRAMER vs. KRAMER", "All That Jazz", "Apocalypse Now", "Breaking Away", "Norma Rae"

Actor: DUSTIN HOFFMAN in "Kramer vs. Kramer", Jack Lemmon in "The China Syndrome", Al Pacino in "...And Justice For All", Roy Scheider in "All That Jazz", Peter Sellers in "Being There"

Actress: SALLY FIELD in "Norma Rae", Jill Clayburgh in "Starting Over", Jane Fonda in "The China Syndrome", Marsha Mason in "Chapter Two", Bette Midler in "The Rose"

Supporting Actor: MELVYN DOUGLAS in "Being There", Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now", Frederic Forrest in "The Rose", Justin Henry in "Kramer vs. Kramer", Mickey Rooney in "The Black Stallion"

Supporting Actress: MERYL STREEP in "Kramer vs. Kramer", Jane Alexander in "Kramer vs. Kramer", Barbarie Barrie in "Breaking Away", Candice Bergen in "Starting Over", Mariel Hemingway in "Manhattan"

Director: ROBERT BENTON for "Kramer vs. Kramer", Francis Ford Coppola for "Apocalypse Now", Bob Fosse for "All That Jazz", Edouard Molinaro for "La Cage Aux Folles", Peter Yates for "Breaking Away"

Top Box Office 1979

Alien trailer

Alien - Directed by Ridley Scott the film is a hybrid of science fiction and horror starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. It spawned five sequels and gave Siqourney Weaver a jump to a leading lady and a massive merchandising franchise. Alien the movie

The Jerk Trailer

The Jerk - Directed by Carl Reiner this rags to riches comedy stars Steve Martin in his first movie. It is one of the funniest movies ever made also starring Bernadette Peters (Martin's girlfriend at the time), M. Emmet Walsh and Jackie Mason. The Jerk.

10 - Directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore, and Julie Andrews was a big box office hit. It made big stars out of Dudley Moore and Bo Derek as the new Hollywood Hot property. It also made a hit of the old classical Bolero. 10 the movie.

1. Kramer vs. Kramer
2. Alien
3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
4. The Jerk
5. Rocky II
6. Apocalypse Now
7. 10
8. The Amityville Horror
9. Moonraker
10. The Muppet Movie